A system and method including a control/monitoring unit that is either integrated with or exterior-mounted on a waste compactor are provided. The unit can have control functionality, monitoring functionality, or both control and monitoring functionality with respect to the waste compactor. The unit can also include a remote on/off control feature which gives a user the ability to remote start/stop the waste compactor and render it operable/inoperable from another remote location.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A remote disablement system for a waste compactor, comprising: a transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor; an on/off switch on the waste compactor; and a remote signal device having a display interface viewable by a user and configured to display status information regarding the waste compactor, wherein the remote signal device is capable of sending a deactivation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages the remote signal device, and wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the deactivation signal in the absence of a prior signal from the waste compactor, and wherein the transmitter/receiver is capable of communicating with the on/off switch and causing the on/off switch to turn the waste compactor off in response to the deactivation signal, and wherein the remote signal device is disposed at a location that is remote from the waste compactor.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote location is a location outside of the room or facility where the compactor is located.
3. A method of deactivating a waste compactor from a remote location, comprising: supplying a deactivation signal from a remote signal device to a transmitter/receiver on a waste compactor; and causing an on/off switch to turn the waste compactor off in response to the deactivation signal to the transmitter/receiver, wherein the remote signal device is disposed at a location that is remote from the waste compactor, and wherein the remote signal device has a display interface viewable by a user and capable of displaying status information regarding the waste compactor, and wherein the remote signal device is capable of sending the deactivation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages the remote signal device, and wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the deactivation signal in the absence of a prior signal from the waste compactor.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the remote location is a location outside of the room or facility where the compactor is located.
5. A remote enablement system for a waste compactor, comprising: a transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor; an on/off switch on the waste compactor; and a remote signal device having a display interface viewable by a user and configured to display status information regarding the waste compactor, wherein the remote signal device is capable of sending an activation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages the remote signal device, and wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the activation signal in the absence of a prior signal from the waste compactor, and wherein the transmitter/receiver is capable of communicating with the on/off switch and causing the on/off switch to turn the waste compactor on in response to the activation signal, and wherein the remote signal device is disposed at a location that is remote from the waste compactor.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the remote location is a location outside of the room or facility where the compactor is located.
7. A method of activating a waste compactor from a remote location, comprising: supplying an activation signal from a remote signal device to a transmitter/receiver on a waste compactor; and causing an on/off switch to turn the waste compactor on in response to the activation signal to the transmitter/receiver, wherein the remote signal device is disposed at a location that is remote from the waste compactor, and wherein the remote signal device has a display interface viewable by a user and capable of displaying status information regarding the waste compactor, and wherein the remote signal device is capable of sending the activation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages the remote signal device, and wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the activation signal in the absence of a prior signal from the waste compactor.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the remote location is a location outside of the room or facility where the compactor is located.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote signal device comprises a user interface on at least one device selected from the group of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a wireless smartphone, a mobile phone application, a personal digital assistant, a workstation at a user service center, and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the remote signal device comprises a user interface on at least one device selected from the group of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a wireless smartphone, a mobile phone application, a personal digital assistant, a workstation at a user service center, and combinations thereof.
11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the remote signal device comprises a user interface on at least one device selected from the group of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a wireless smartphone, a mobile phone application, a personal digital assistant, a workstation at a user service center, and combinations thereof.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the remote signal device comprises a user interface on at least one device selected from the group of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a wireless smartphone, a mobile phone application, a personal digital assistant, a workstation at a user service center, and combinations thereof.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal from the waste compactor comprises one or more selected from the group of (i) a signal that the compactor needs to be emptied, and (ii) a predetermined threshold measurement.
14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the signal from the waste compactor comprises one or more selected from the group of (i) a signal that the compactor needs to be emptied, and (ii) a predetermined threshold measurement.
15. The system of claim 5 , wherein the signal from the waste compactor comprises a predetermined threshold measurement.
16. The method of claim 7 , wherein the signal from the waste compactor comprises a predetermined threshold measurement.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the deactivation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages a checkbox or button on the display interface of the remote signal device.
18. The method of claim 3 , wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the deactivation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages a checkbox or button on the display interface of the remote signal device.
19. The system of claim 5 , wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the activation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages a checkbox or button on the display interface of the remote signal device.
20. The method of claim 7 , wherein the remote signal device is configured to send the activation signal to the transmitter/receiver on the waste compactor when the user engages a checkbox or button on the display interface of the remote signal device.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 27, 2021
July 12, 2022
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